THE QUEEN'S SPEECH

The QUEEN, being seated on the Throne, and attended by Her Officers of State (the Lords being in their robes), commanded the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, through the Lord Great Chamberlain, to let the Commons know, "It is Her Majesty's pleasure they attend Her immediately in this House".
	Who being come, with their Speaker:
	Her Majesty was pleased to speak as follows:

The Queen: My Lords and Members of the House of Commons,
	My Government will continue to pursue economic policies which entrench stability and promote long-term growth and prosperity.
	To this end, my Government will continue to secure low inflation and sound public finances.
	My Government will build on their programme of reform and accelerate modernisation of the public services to promote opportunity and fairness. My Government will bring forward legislation in the key areas of public service delivery: education; health; welfare; and crime.
	Education remains my Government's main priority. My Government will further reform the education system to improve quality and choice in the provision of schooling, and build on the progress already made to improve educational standards for all.
	Legislation will be brought forward to offer greater support for working families by extending maternity benefits and improving the provision of childcare.
	My Government will continue to reform the National Health Service in a way that maintains its founding principles. Measures will be brought forward to introduce more choice and diversity in healthcare provision and to continue to improve the quality of health services and hospital hygiene. Legislation to restrict smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces will also be introduced.
	A Bill will be brought forward to support patients who wish to seek redress should they experience problems with their healthcare.
	My Government will continue their reform of the welfare state in order to reduce poverty further, offer greater equality, and match rights with responsibilities.
	My Government will introduce legislation to reform support for housing costs.
	A Bill will be introduced to establish benefits which will facilitate a return to employment, while offering long-term support for those unable to work.
	My Government will begin long-term reform to provide sustainable income for those in retirement.
	A Bill will be introduced to improve protection of consumers by bringing home reversion plans within the scope of the Financial Services Authority.
	My Government are committed to creating safe and secure communities and fostering a culture of respect.
	Legislation will be taken forward to introduce an identity cards scheme.
	A Bill will be introduced to give police and local communities new powers to tackle knives, guns and alcohol-related violence.
	Further legislation will be introduced to tighten the immigration and asylum system in a way that is fair, flexible, and in the economic interests of the country.
	Proposals will be brought forward to continue the fight against terrorism in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.
	My Government will bring forward legislation to reduce reoffending by improving the management of offenders.
	Legislation will be introduced to reform the criminal defence service, making better use of legal aid resources.
	My Government believe that the welfare of the child is paramount. A Bill will be introduced to establish a barring and vetting scheme, and other measures to provide better protection for children and vulnerable adults.
	Legislation will be introduced to safeguard the welfare of children in circumstances of parental separation and to improve the process of inter-country adoption.
	My Government will continue with legislation to provide a new framework for the provision of compulsory treatment of those with mental disorders.
	Legislation will be introduced to modernise charity law, to develop a vibrant, diverse and independent charitable sector.
	My Government will take forward proposals to introduce an offence of corporate manslaughter.
	My Government will bring forward measures to tackle those who incite religious hatred.
	Legislation will be introduced to combat discrimination and to establish the Commission for Equality and Human Rights.
	My Government are committed to achieving sustainable development and supporting rural services.
	Legislation will be brought forward to ensure the better management and protection of the natural environment and to provide support for rural communities.
	A Bill to modernise the management of common land will be introduced.
	Legislation will be brought forward to help reduce casualties on the roads.
	My Government are committed to promoting efficiency, productivity and value for money. Legislation will be introduced to streamline regulatory structures and make it simpler to remove outdated or unnecessary legislation.
	Consumer credit law will be updated to provide greater protection for consumers and to create a fairer, more competitive credit market.
	Company law will be reformed to encourage greater levels of investment and enterprise.
	Members of the House of Commons,
	Estimates for the Public Services will be laid before you.
	My Lords and Members of the House of Commons,
	My Government will continue to work closely with the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales, and will work to bring about the conditions necessary for the restoration of political institutions in Northern Ireland.
	Legislation will be brought forward to encourage greater voter participation in elections while introducing further measures to combat fraud and increase security.
	Legislation will also be introduced to reform the National Assembly for Wales.
	My Government will bring forward proposals to continue the reform of the House of Lords.
	If London is selected to host the 2012 Olympic Games, legislation will be introduced as soon as possible to establish the necessary powers to ensure the delivery of the games, and that the requirements of the International Olympic Committee are met.
	My Government will establish a single system of service law for the Armed Forces.
	My Government will bring forward a Bill to give effect to the Constitutional Treaty for the European Union, subject to a referendum. Legislation will be introduced to ratify the treaty of accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the European Union.
	Other measures will be laid before you.
	My Government will continue to play their full part in international affairs.
	The Duke of Edinburgh and I look forward to our visit to Canada later today and to our state visit to Malta in November which precedes the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. We look forward to our visit to Australia in March next year for the opening of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, followed by our state visit to Singapore. We also look forward to receiving Their Majesties King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway in the autumn.
	The United Kingdom will take over the Presidency of the European Union in July, and my Government will work to build an increasingly prosperous and secure Europe.
	My Government will use their presidency of the G8 to secure progress in tackling poverty in Africa and climate change.
	My Government will continue to push for a resolution of the conflict in Darfur.
	My Government will continue to work to prevent terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, and to combat drug smuggling and international crime.
	My Government will work to strengthen commitment to the continued effectiveness of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and continue to contribute to a modern and representative United Nations.
	My Government will work to secure a successful outcome from the United Nations Millennium Review Summit and the ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation in Hong Kong in December.
	My Government will support the Iraq Transitional Government and Transitional National Assembly as they write a constitution and prepare for future elections.
	My Government will continue to assist the government of Afghanistan including in their counter-narcotics efforts, and to support better standards of governance throughout the world. Peace in the Middle East will remain one of my Government's highest priorities.
	My Government will work to deepen and develop the strong partnership between Europe and the United States in order to meet these objectives.
	My Lords and Members of the House of Commons,
	I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.

House adjourned during pleasure.
	House resumed at half-past three of the clock: The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.
	Prayers—Read by the Lord Bishop of Liverpool.
	Several Lords—Took the Oath or Affirmed.

House of Lords

Tuesday, 17 May 2005.

The House resumed at half-past three of the clock: the LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.

Prayers—Read by the Lord Bishop of Liverpool.

Several Lords—Took the Oath or Affirmed.

Members of the House

It was ordered that a list of Members of the House, prepared by the Clerk of the Parliaments, be printed.

Select Vestries Bill

Read a first time pro forma.

Address in Reply to Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: My Lords, I have to acquaint the House that Her Majesty was pleased this morning to make a most gracious Speech from the Throne to both Houses of Parliament assembled in the House of Lords. Copies of the gracious Speech are available in the Printed Paper Office.
	I have, for the convenience of the House, directed that the terms of the gracious Speech be published in the Official Report.

Lord Dubs: My Lords, I beg to move that an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty as follows:
	"Most Gracious Sovereign—We, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, beg leave to thank Your Majesty for the most gracious Speech which Your Majesty has addressed to both Houses of Parliament".
	It is a great honour to be asked to move this Motion, although I must confess that I approached this task with more trepidation—dare I say, nervousness?—than I have approached any other speech that I have made in either House. Your Lordships are a truly formidable audience.
	First, I pay tribute to my noble friend Lady Amos. I was delighted to see that she continues as our Leader in this new Parliament. Her abilities are always matched by the ease with which she can be approached. She has led us well and I hope that she continues to do so for a long time.
	I now turn to the Chief Whip. It is conventional wisdom that he or she should be a stern disciplinarian and should not be liked—at least by the Back-Benchers. However, despite the toughness of my noble friend Lord Grocott, we all like him and, again, I hope that he will be in his post for a long time.
	For the past five years or so, I have been chair of the Labour Peers. I want to thank my colleagues for their support and helpfulness in enabling me to exercise what I suppose on our side of the Floor is properly called a "shop steward" function. I shall stop doing that job and one of my colleagues will be elected to take the post in my place.
	On a slightly more sombre note, we cannot forget colleagues from the other place who lost their seats in the election. Many of them were friends and colleagues of ours. Democracy can be painful for the losers, and I know only too well from personal experience what it feels like.
	I recall the American politician who, when asked how he felt after losing an election, said, "Oh, it's all right. I went home and slept like a baby—I woke up every hour and cried". But, having had the privilege of being appointed to this House, I suppose I can say that there can be life after political death, and I say that to all the colleagues of all parties who experienced political death the week before last.
	But then we in this House have not had to go through the strains and stresses of seeking re-election, although many of us helped and worked in the campaigns for our respective parties. In the House of Commons the Government now have 356 seats, compared with 198 for the next largest party. That seems pretty good to me, whatever the press say, but I can only comment, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?".
	However, I have a niggle about general elections. It is a very small point but why cannot Members of this House have the right to vote? I admit that this is hardly the biggest issue and not a single person mentioned it to me on any doorstep. I do not see Trafalgar Square, or perhaps I should say Parliament Square, packed with protestors on our behalf. But I think that there is something wrong. Democracy is a fundamental principle and having a vote is important. Why should we, other than prisoners—and I think that will be sorted—and the insane, be the only ones denied the right to vote? It seems absurd.
	Perhaps I may mention some thoughts on other matters which struck me as I knocked on many doorsteps from Bethnal Green to Battersea. They are small points but they irritated me, and anyone who canvassed will have shared my irritation. Why are so many letter boxes just a few inches off the floor? As we get on in age, bending over is more difficult. And what about the letter boxes that I call "knuckle-scrapers", which remove the skin from one's fingers as one tries to put a leaflet through them?
	Then there are the numbering systems at many blocks of council flats. Their Byzantine complexity makes the theory of relativity seem simple in comparison. Many of us have chased up and down corridors and stairs looking for that odd number which did not appear where it should have done. On behalf of everyone who canvasses in elections, I express my solidarity with the postmen and postwomen of this country, who have to wrestle with these complexities day in and day out.
	However, that is as nothing compared to the comment made to me in a previous election many years ago when I was supporting my local council candidates. I was not a Member of Parliament then. I rang the doorbell to be confronted by a woman with a child of about four years old. When I said that I was canvassing, the door was slammed shut before I could even say the words, "Labour Party". Rebuffed, I wondered what to do—whether I should move on and try another bell—when the door opened again. The woman and child were still standing there and she said to her son, in words that I can never forget, "There's nothing to see, it's only a politician". That applies to each and every one of us. We should pause for reflection, because I suspect that those sentiments are still there, even if the four year-old is now much older.
	I now turn to some of the details in the gracious Speech. It is clear that we shall be very busy dealing with a full programme of legislation—one of the fullest that we have ever had, I think. I welcome the commitment to Lords reform. I am not sure whether in this speech I am allowed to be the tiniest bit contentious.

Lord Strathclyde: Yes.

Lord Dubs: My Lords, the noble Lord says "Yes".
	I believe that it is sensible, as the Government propose, to set a limit of 60 days on the length of time for which we should consider a Bill. I am certain that that will prove as much a discipline on government as on anyone else. None of the real conflicts, the passionate debates that we have had in recent years—of which the anti-terrorism legislation was just the most recent—would have been caught by a 60-day limit. Anyone who suggests that it would stifle debate in your Lordships' House is surely wrong, but the Government would have to prepare Bills better before presenting them to Parliament and that must be desirable.
	I welcome further steps to tackle poverty, especially among children and pensioners. We have made much progress, but there is still further to go.
	Any fair-minded person would say that education, especially in primary schools, has improved markedly in recent years and that Sure Start has been widely acclaimed. Of course, more needs to be done and the gracious Speech acknowledges that.
	The NHS has also shown similar improvements both at the general practitioner level and in hospitals. Many others, myself included, have been beneficiaries of improvements in healthcare. I welcome the proposed ban on smoking in most public places and look forward to it being implemented quickly.
	As regards ID cards, many years ago, I was unhappy about them, but I feel that there is no longer an objection in principle to them. We shall obviously consider the details to see how they can be effectively applied. I am also pleased, although the issue is contentious, by the Government's plans to introduce legislation to deal with incitement to religious hatred.
	I welcome the commitments in the gracious Speech to tackling world poverty, especially in Africa. Establishing fair trade opportunities for the world's poorest countries is an essential element of that policy.
	The Government have also indicated that they will use their presidency of the G8 to further policies to tackle climate change. Some time ago, the Government circulated a booklet to all households giving guidance in case of terrorist attacks. I am sure that we all received it through our letter-boxes. Would the Government consider a similar booklet giving advice to householders about energy-saving, waste and other measures to help to deal with climate change? I am sure that that would be welcomed and I suggest it to my noble friends on the Front Bench.
	Your Lordships will be aware that I have a continuing interest in Northern Ireland. I am confident that the new Secretary of State will do everything in his power to get the peace process back on track. The local politicians and especially the paramilitaries in Northern Ireland know what they have to do. The prize is enormous and anyone who stands in the way is to be totally condemned. I also pay tribute to my right honourable friend Paul Murphy for the great contribution that he has made to peace and progress in Northern Ireland during his time in Belfast, first as Minister of State and more recently as Secretary of State.
	I also welcome the Government's commitment to getting the Olympics to this country and I hope that we shall hear good news about the Olympics during the next two or three months.
	I wish the Government well in their forthcoming presidency of the European Union. I hope that the proposed accession of Bulgaria and Romania will proceed smoothly and that Turkey will continue to progress along the path toward membership.
	Shortly after I was elected to the other place, something happened that has stayed firmly in my consciousness and to which I may have referred previously in the presence of some of my friends. As your Lordships will recall, in those days, the Commons often used to sit rather late. We have now taken over that mantle. The occasion to which I referred was not whipped, but some of us engineered a debate on London matters that was to take place between 2 am and 6 am. I had just been elected and that was my first chance to be up all night. I suppose that in those far-off days, some of us believed that insomnia was a necessary precondition for socialism.
	I arrived at the Members' Entrance about midnight. The policewoman at the door said, "Good evening, sir", and, with all the pomposity that only a newly elected MP can muster, I replied, "Good evening. I am hoping to speak tonight". "Yes, sir" she said. "Will it make any difference?" I picked myself up off the floor a humbler and, I hope, wiser person.
	I believe that this Queen's Speech and the next four years will make a difference to millions of ordinary people in the country. I know that this is a very committed Government, and the Ministers show a high level of enthusiasm for their responsibilities.
	Finally, let me say this, on a personal note: I came to this country at the age of six as a refugee. English is my third language, so whenever anyone says that my speeches are not great, I defend myself by saying, "Well, it is in my third language. How good a speech could you make in your third language?"
	This country has given me the most fantastic opportunities, for which I am enormously grateful. Therefore, I am very enthusiastic about the Government's commitment to improving opportunities for all our people. I beg to move.
	Moved, That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty in the following terms:
	"Most Gracious Sovereign—We, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, beg leave to thank Your Majesty for the most gracious Speech which Your Majesty has addressed to both Houses of Parliament".—(Lord Dubs.)

Baroness Massey of Darwen: My Lords, it is with great pride and pleasure that I beg to second my noble friend's Motion for an humble Address. My noble friend the Leader of the House and I are great cricket enthusiasts, and when I was asked to have a quick word with her I assumed that it was because she had tickets for the first Test match. I sought her out and was told that she had gone to look for her glasses and handbag—she does have a magnificence of handbags—and I knew that my tickets were in it. Alas, it was not to be. The handbag remained closed as, with her usual dignity, calm and elegance, the noble Baroness, Lady Amos, informed me of this honour.
	I am particularly delighted to follow my noble friend Lord Dubs. He and I, as they say, go back a long way. He was for many years my MP in Battersea and, when the election went against him in 1992, by Wandsworth Town Hall we sat down and wept. He is an inspiration. He arrived in this country as a refugee child with a label and a suitcase and went on to succeed in a number of public and parliamentary posts. His example represents hope and opportunity, and those two themes—hope and opportunity—will feature in what I have to say today.
	Since entering your Lordships' House I have been constantly impressed by the strength and dedication of its Members, even at 3 am. Eloquent speeches, passion and knowledge make it a real revising Chamber, and I am proud to be part of it. I was only dimly aware of that potential a few years ago on entering the House. Together with the class of '99, I found it unreal and confusing. We walked into cupboards; we sat on the wrong Benches; some of us masqueraded as Bishops and one noble Baroness from these Benches appeared resplendent on the Benches opposite having, she said, followed a handsome man. I say no more but they know who they are.
	I have observed in our debates, to use cricketing analogies, intimidating seamers and bouncers, nifty slip catches, elegant late cuts and ubiquitous fielding from the Whips, led by the Captain of the Gentlemen at Arms, alias the noble Lord, Lord Grocott.
	Returning to hope and opportunity, I often used to sit next to our dear colleague the Right Reverend David Sheppard, the former Bishop of Liverpool, who sadly died earlier this year. He was a brave and wise cricketer and a brave and wise human being. His autobiography quotes a colleague who, when asked whether he was an optimist, said:
	"No, I am full of hope".
	For me, that is what the start of a new Parliament is about: the hope that we can contribute to changing people's lives for the better.
	In concluding his autobiography, David said:
	"Reaching out to those who are excluded from comfortable Britain will only be effective if the whole body believes in the importance of the task".
	I shall add comfort and discomfort to my themes of hope and opportunity.
	Of course, many lives have changed over the past decades. My parents worked in the Lancashire cotton mills. Like others in your Lordships' House, I was the first child in the family to go to university. I have a deep respect for education; it provides hope and opportunity. I look forward to discussions on education during this Session of Parliament.
	I began my professional life as a teacher. For that reason and because I have children and a small grandson, one of my main interests is children and young people. Being in your Lordships' House has enabled me to meet many marvellous people, including Peers and MPs from all sides of the House and people from organisations working with children. They are united in their wish to see all children given hope and opportunity.
	When she was Secretary of State for Education, the noble Baroness, Lady Williams of Crosby, once said that, although we might strive to make a level playing field, we must remember that some people start life with both feet tied together. I am proud that this Government continue to introduce measures to tackle child poverty, deprivation and educational underachievement. There is a distance to go, but there is a determination to tackle those uncomfortable issues.
	I am pleased that the gracious Speech also placed emphasis on public services. Some of my life outside your Lordships' House is spent as chair of the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse. I see drugs devastating families and communities. I see parents and grandparents in despair. Drugs are linked to health problems and crime. Things are improving, thanks largely to more government funding, but we cannot be complacent.
	I am glad that, in this Parliament, we will debate social disorder. It is a complex issue. It is uncomfortable. A key group is parents, and a key issue is how they set boundaries for their children. Of course, sanctions must be applied to offences, but I know that our discussions will not be simply about punishment. Preventing unacceptable behaviour is crucial. We need measures to support parents, young people and dedicated professionals such as provided by Sure Start. We need to ensure that services work together to rehabilitate, not just condemn.
	I believe that there is now more emphasis on striving to see people behind behavioural facades and ensuring that services are appropriate and responsive to individuals and communities. It is surely not sufficient to put a person into a system without attempting to understand where they are coming from, how they see the world and how they engage in shaping their own future. This is to encourage opportunity and hope for professionals and clients, whether it applies to schools, hospitals, prisons or other services. It will not always be a comfortable or easy process.
	I have talked about hope, opportunity, comfort and discomfort, and I will end with a quotation from one of my favourite children's books, The Velveteen Rabbit. The skin horse is talking to the rabbit about becoming real:
	"It doesn't happen all at once"—
	said the skin horse—
	"You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand".
	The rabbit wishes that he could become "Real" without all those uncomfortable things happening to him, but, of course, process cannot be by-passed.
	I look forward to the processes of our new Parliament being underpinned by those great enablers—hope and opportunity—but tempered and strengthened by discomfort. This may serve to make legislation more effective, and therefore real, for the benefit of the people of this country and beyond.
	One of the realities of your Lordships' House is the joy of associating with people who do not break easily and who translate difficulties into commitment for improvement. Again, I am proud to second the Motion.

Lord Strathclyde: My Lords, it is with great pleasure that I beg to move that this debate be adjourned until tomorrow. In doing so, it is my very pleasant duty to congratulate the mover and the seconder of the Motion. Having heard their speeches, I do so with the greatest sincerity.
	The noble Lord, Lord Dubs, is much respected across the House and has the distinction of serving in both Houses of Parliament—twice elected and once appointed, something from which the House will be pleased to hear I draw absolutely no conclusions whatever. In both Houses the noble Lord established a reputation for integrity, idealism and loyalty, three qualities that are not always easily mixed, but which the noble Lord has displayed consistently. He has set an example that I would be proud to have said of me.
	I hope that his appearance in this debate does not presage an end to his services as chairman of the Labour Party in this House. As Confucius said, these could be interesting times to hold that office. I very much hope that someone is keeping the minutes: or, judging from last week's PLP, perhaps I should say the blow-by-blow account.
	The noble Lord is well known for his love of the Lake District. If I should ask him to use his undoubted influence on one thing only, it would be this: please, please—with all of his ambitions to demolish and rebuild the north of England—do not tell the Deputy Prime Minister about Cumbria.
	The noble Baroness, Lady Massey, came to this House in 1999 with a specialist area of knowledge, which this House always values, and she has always been heard with great respect. I gather that in her private life, the noble Baroness is a great lover of the theatre and of opera. There is no stage more theatrical, but also more challenging, than this House on State Opening day, complete with the Lord Chancellor there in his place. Perhaps I may say how pleased we are to see him on the Woolsack—a Lord and a lawyer still, and long may that continue. But whatever stage the noble Baroness appears on, we all know that she will play her part with dignity and charm as she did today. I congratulate her warmly on her speech.
	Speaking of dignity and charm, I join the noble Lord, Lord Dubs, in saying how pleased I am to see the noble Baroness, Lady Amos, in her accustomed place as Leader of the House. Before the Recess, we were told that she might exchange the gracious Chamber for a tower block in New York. I hope that the noble Baroness will now stay with us for a good time to come.
	In this Parliament, it seems that we will need, more than ever, a Leader ready to uphold the authority and role of this House in the Cabinet. She will need to reflect the voice of the whole House when the Government perhaps try to threaten or reduce the power and independence of your Lordships' House. If the Government are tempted to try that, the noble Baroness will need statesmanship, wisdom and courage. I can tell her that she will always find co-operation on this side of the House in defence of the freedoms of the House.
	The two fundamental principles of this House are a recognition that the Queen's Government must be carried on, something we have unfailingly honoured in eight years of opposition, and the untrammelled right of this House to revise and improve legislation, and to invite the other place to think again. Wherever we sit in this House, we were sent here to exercise an independent voice in an independent revising Chamber, and exercise it we must. If we do not do so, we would be failing in our duty to Parliament and to our country. I cannot conceive that this great House would ever wish to fail in that duty.
	When I think of an independent voice, I think of friends who sadly have died since we last met: Lord Orme, who was such a good and sound servant of the old Labour Party; Lord Campbell of Croy, an authentic hero in his youth and always fearless in going against his party if he thought the cause was right and just; and Lord Bruce of Donington, who learned from experience of the corruption that could take place in the European Union and was never afraid to speak his mind about an institution far too insulated from parliamentary scrutiny. We shall miss them all and their plain speaking.
	We also miss a number of familiar faces from the Government Front Bench. We did not always agree with them. Indeed, we often sharply disagreed. But the House saw in the noble Baronesses, Lady Symons and Lady Hollis, in the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, and in the seemingly tireless noble Lord, Lord McIntosh of Haringey, Ministers of authority in their subject and with a keen sense of duty to the House as a whole. We appreciated them for that. They will be hard acts to follow.
	We welcome some new faces to the Government Front Bench. Indeed, in the past 10 days they have accumulated more headlines than I have managed in 10 years. Their fame goes before them. But they can be sure that if they approach their task in the same spirit as their predecessors, they will find the House a warm and appreciative, but always a testing, place.
	The Government have won a clear election victory. However sceptical the response from the electorate and however small the proportion of the population voting for them, it is a clear victory. They are entitled to the fruits of that victory and I congratulate them on it. But they cannot ignore the warning signs and they should not evade or curtail the scrutiny of Parliament.
	The signal that I took from the electorate to the Prime Minister was not that he should go on, unchanging and unremitting, so I welcomed his initial response that he would listen. I hope that among the people he will listen to are those wise heads on all sides of your Lordships' House who were not so very far wrong in the last Parliament on postal voting, jury trial or on habeas corpus.
	But I must say that as I listened to the remorseless litany of Bills, regulations and further controls set out in the gracious Speech, I heard rather more of the telling tone than the listening one. Forty Bills is the boast from No. 10, as if passing 40 Bills in one Session was some kind of virility test perhaps to delight the readers of the Sun. Can it be true that there are nine Home Office Bills? Cannot Ministers in the Home Office ever get anything right first time around?
	My experience in government suggests that it is a grave error to confuse passing a Bill with actually doing something. So we have Bills on immigration, asylum, violent crime and schools—all areas where this Government have legislated more than most and achieved rather less than most. Do we need, for example, a new Bill to deliver clean hospitals? Why cannot Ministers just tell hospitals to do it and let the professionals get on with the job? Might I suggest that a lot less legislation would not be a bad motto for a third term? But 40 Bills it is. How many of those 40 will start in this House? I hope that the noble Baroness the Leader of the House will be in a position to tell your Lordships.
	We welcome rare exceptions to the state-knows-best tone of the speech, such as the pledge to streamline regulation—whatever that will mean in practice, for I listened in vain for any promise to reduce it. Instead the speech promises new regulation on schools, childcare, smoking, the environment, parental separation, financial services, knives, discrimination, companies, mental illness, charities, drivers, common land, consumer credit and alcohol. Those are all important issues, but have we not just deregulated 24-hour drinking? We have the finest charitable sector in the world. Does it need new regulation?
	We welcome the commitment—again—to reform education, sadly against a real-life background of eroding standards of discipline and the quality of public exams. We welcome warmly the arrival of the noble Lord, Lord Adonis, the Prime Minister's personal representative in Parliament. The Speech talks of struggling towards more choice in schools. If that is where the noble Lord, Lord Adonis, wishes to lead us, I welcome it.
	It is the same story in health. I welcome a promise of more choice and diversity, involving the private sector in serving the sick through the NHS. That was where we were before Mr Dobson threw reform out of the window.
	There are other things that I cannot welcome, such as the creation of an offence of religious hatred. It is a complex issue, and the Government should think very carefully about how to proceed. I am cautious about the details of a new offence of corporate manslaughter; this will need careful pre-legislative scrutiny. I will want to see the details of plans that might extend further the compensation and litigation culture in the NHS. Surely we need less of that, not more. I will want to see the details of proposals to deprive mentally ill people of their liberty. I also wonder at the wisdom of plunging on with an intrusive and costly programme of spending on ID cards.
	There is also the question of what is not in the gracious Speech. What about the neglect of the crisis in pensions? There is no timetable for an early referendum on the EU Constitution. There is no Civil Service Bill to protect the integrity of public service, despite all past promises.
	Finally, there is mention of your Lordships' House. We are promised further steps on reform, although there is no mention of the one House that really is crying out for reform; namely, the House of Commons. I am sure that noble Lords can come up with some very good ideas about how we could provide reform.
	This is not the time for lengthy debate, but let me make two points. First, for this side of the House, the undertaking given at the Dispatch Box by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Irvine of Lairg, binding in honour on all who, like the Prime Minister, personally came to give it their assent, still stands, and we will stand by it.
	Secondly, as I said at some length before the election, this House should not accept any dictation from the other place as to its procedures, tolerate no guillotine and accept no diminution in its powers. We have a bicameral legislature and so long as I am allowed to stay here, I will fight with all my strength to prevent this great House being reduced to some kind of co-opted committee of another place.
	However, I take it from the gracious Speech that we are not facing a Bill this Session, and that is much to be welcomed. Instead, I believe that we shall get a Joint Committee. Such a Committee, charged solely with looking at the conventions of this House, would be a very odd and lopsided animal indeed. Any Joint Committee worth its salt must be able to range over the operations of both Houses and their joint relations. I ask the noble Baroness to assure the House that she will consult widely on the terms of reference of a Joint Committee; that this House will be an equal partner at all stages of the process; and that a majority of the Commons will never be used to constrain the composition, procedures or powers of this place. If that were suggested in reverse, we can imagine the outcry.
	I suspect that this is likely to be a long Parliament, and this is the start of a very long Session in it. There is, as we have heard today, much to do. I look forward to working with noble Lords on all sides in revising and improving the ever-onrushing tide of legislation.
	One of the great privileges of belonging to this place is that we have the time, experience and independence to look at draft law in depth and often without party blinkers. When we do that work well, and when that work is respected by Ministers in another place, the country is better governed and a better place for it.
	It is a high calling and a great privilege. It involves long hours and often frustrations that outweigh the satisfaction. It attracts all too little notice. But it is no mean duty, and wherever we sit, we should love, cherish and defend the great House in which it is performed.
	Moved, That this debate be adjourned until tomorrow.—(Lord Strathclyde).

Lord McNally: My Lords, like the Leader of the Opposition, my first duty is to congratulate the mover and the seconder of this Address. That is not difficult with the noble Lord, Lord Dubs, because he and I were part of the immensely talented intake into another place at the 1979 general election, most of whom seem to be joining us in the next few weeks, if the last list is anything to go by.
	Over the whole of his career, as has been mentioned, the noble Lord, Lord Dubs, has espoused so many of the same issues that I have found myself in complete agreement with him. Indeed, so often have I felt myself in agreement with the noble Lord that I cannot think it long before he joins me on these Benches. Those Members opposite who shout "never" should remember that, as the Prime Minister so enviously said, this is no longer simply the party of Lloyd George and Gladstone but of Sedgemore too—so never say "never".
	I had to do some research on the noble Baroness, Lady Massey. I knew that she was a Lancashire lass, which was a good plus to start with, and that she had a distinguished career in education and youth work. As we have heard in the remarks already made, she is also a supporter of cricket, opera and the theatre. What I did not realise until I did my research is that she was also the editor of the Lovers' Guide Encyclopaedia: The Definitive Guide to Sex and You. I must tell the noble Baroness that she is not the first name among the noble Baronesses opposite to come to my mind as being expert in such matters.

Noble Lords: Tell us the name!

Lord McNally: My Lords, wild horses would not persuade me to reveal the name that immediately springs to mind. However, we had two speeches of significant substance and we are very grateful.
	Noble Lords will notice that I am no longer supported by the noble Lord, Lord Roper. I decided with great ruthlessness that I needed a gentler, more subtle Chief Whip so I went over the Pennines to that county of gentle folk and my noble friend Lord Shutt of Greetland has kindly agreed to be Chief Whip.
	We mentioned a death. There was one death on this Bench that I felt particularly—that of Lord Wigoder, who was not only a great servant of this House and a very wise person but my personal mentor when I first came here 10 years ago. I also associate myself with the remarks made about Lord Campbell of Croy. In this, the 60th anniversary of VE-Day, when we think of those who died in the Second World War, it is worth remembering those who gave a lifetime of suffering in the cause of freedom who came back wounded and yet had fine lives as public servants. Lord Campbell of Croy was certainly one of those. Very early in my time here, I remember being told that the best way to be first with a Question in the new Session was to queue very early outside the Clerk's office. I went very early and there was Lord Campbell of Croy waiting to get the first Question.
	The noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, mentioned departed Ministers. I will not go through the list, but I am sure that we will all miss the regular chastisement of the noble Baroness, Lady Symons. And seeing the noble Lord, Lord McIntosh, on the Back Benches seems against the order of nature. I do not believe that anyone else on the Government Benches possesses the combination of Dr Pangloss and Pooh-Bah that he has brought to so many offices over so many years.
	We also have the new Ministers. I think that people will pay good money to be there for the first meeting of the noble Lord, Lord Rooker, with Mr Ian Paisley. And of course, as has already been mentioned, we look forward to the arrival of Lord Adonis, a man who was only very recently a very active member of the Liberal Democrats. Now he is coming to this House as a Labour Minister to carry out Conservative policies. The noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, says that he will have a warm welcome and he has never said a truer word.
	As for the Queen's Speech itself—40 Bills, yes; but as I am sure the noble Lord, Lord Sheldon, noted, and I did too, there is no Civil Service Bill. That is a matter to which we will have to return. Over the next few days, we will have a lengthy opportunity to go through the proposals in the gracious Speech in some detail. For now I shall say only this. For a Labour Party that has had Lords reform in its commitments for about 100 years, and moving into its ninth year of government, its commitment on Lords reform seems a trifle less than radical.
	Whatever the Government's plans, I should like to say this about Lords reform and the relationship between the two Houses, which I think was touched on by the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde. Going round during the general election, as many of us did, one of the things that struck me was the number of times people said, "Thank goodness for the House of Lords. Thank goodness you did this and did that". It really is an extraordinary achievement of a Labour Government that the House of Commons should be seen as Mr Blair's poodle and that the House of Lords should be the last bastion of defence of civil liberties and human rights. That is a curious point about which Ministers should pause and think as they move to reform.
	If the Government move to reform with a real generosity of spirit and real desire to make something that sticks and gives a proper and good governance, they will have our support. Regarding what comes next, before the general election the Lord Chancellor put great emphasis on the Salisbury convention—that if it was in the Labour manifesto, that should be enough. I do not believe that a convention drawn up 60 years ago on relations between a wholly hereditary Conservative-dominated House and a Labour Government who had 48 per cent of the vote should apply in the same way to the position in which we find ourselves today.
	I hope that the Lord Chancellor will approach the issue in a constructive way. However, if the Government's aim is simply to clip the wings of this House, so that a Government who have already demonstrated hubris and impatience on any checks to their powers check the powers of this House even further without proper reforms both down the corridor and in general governance, then Salisbury convention or no Salisbury convention, we will fight those proposals tooth and nail.
	On that happy note I think that nothing can be better than to turn now to a constructive debate of the Queen's Speech with the assurance that I can give, as ever from these Benches, that where the measures are worthy of our support they will have it, but where they are not worthy of our support, we will fight them.

Baroness Amos: My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lords, Lord Strathclyde and Lord McNally.
	I am delighted to congratulate my noble friend Lord Dubs on moving the Motion on the gracious Speech. My noble friend has had a long parliamentary career both in this House and in another place. I have always had great admiration for him. He purveys his politics with passion but also in a thoughtful and thorough way. I first knew my noble friend through his championing of refugees during his period as director of the Refugee Council. A refugee himself, having been rescued from wartime Czechoslovakia, he led the council with distinction. I have also been proud to work closely with him through his continuing interest in Northern Ireland.
	We are also both members of the Westminster Gym. Having campaigned with my noble friend in Battersea recently, I know that he kept himself fit during our time away from this House bounding up and down many a staircase in the cause of political engagement.
	My noble friend is still regarded with great affection in Battersea, which noble Lords will know is his former parliamentary constituency. One lady came up to him during my campaign visit and declared, "I know you. It's Alf Dubs, isn't it?" I have to say that our candidate, who has been the Member for Battersea for some time, was slightly taken aback by that.
	My noble friend continues to command respect for his hard work and his dedication. My noble friend features heavily in the book about my party's years in opposition by John O'Farrell, Things Can Only Get Better. I was going to say that this is not an occasion for political point scoring, but having just listened to the noble Lord, Lord McNally, I have to say how nice it is that things did, indeed, get better, and for at least three terms too.
	Education and health are the key interests of my noble friend Lady Massey of Darwen. Her career before arriving in this House was characterised by her concern for the young and the vulnerable through her work with the Brook Advisory Centres and the Family Planning Association. I know that noble Lords will agree that she is one of the most popular Members of this House. Her contributions are always full of insight and deserving of wider attention.
	I am reminded of my noble friend's maiden speech before which she had been advised by one of her children with experience of the theatre to, "Just speak up and avoid the furniture". My noble friend has made her voice heard on a number of issues and we are all better off for it, and the furniture remains intact.
	My noble friend has done sterling work over the past year keeping those of us on these Benches entertained during the long dark evenings. Indeed, I think that my noble friend is the only person on our side of the House who is devastated when the Whip comes off early. There have been excellent talks and debates and some great films. I must thank my noble friend for giving me the opportunity to, as it were, get my own back on Jonathan Dimbleby when I chaired a celebrity version of "Any Questions?"
	My noble friend also referred to our shared love of cricket. It is, indeed, a passion of mine. As noble Lords will know, I was born in Guyana where a love for cricket—lovely cricket—is compulsory. As a result I follow both England and the West Indies, which means that I am more on the winning side than I might otherwise be.
	I thank both my noble friends for their excellent speeches, and we look forward to their continued contributions. I also welcome the noble Lord, Lord Shutt, in his new position as Chief Whip for the Liberal Democrats in this House; I look forward to working with the noble Lord. I take this opportunity to express the great affection in which we hold the outgoing Liberal Democrat Chief Whip, the noble Lord, Lord Roper. The good working relations of the usual channels are due in no small part to his efforts. He is also the unseen author of several improvements in our practice, for instance, the pre-planned Friday sittings, which some of us call "Roper Fridays". I am sure that we all wish the noble Lord well.
	I turn now briefly to the detail of the gracious Speech. I put on record my pride at making this speech today at the start of a third consecutive term for a Labour government—it is an historic moment. When we last sparred in this Chamber the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, speculated on whether I would be back to defend this Government's policies. He did so kindly, and I always enjoy our encounters. I am delighted to be back and even more delighted to play a part in the programme referred to in the gracious Speech. During that last encounter, I suggested to the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, that the tone of his speech indicated that it might be a swansong. I am therefore most relieved and heartened to see him on fine form in his familiar place as the Leader of the Official Opposition in this House.
	The package being put forward today in the gracious Speech is bold and radical. At its very core are the principles that are close to my heart and at the heart of my party: social justice; equality; and opportunity. We will build on our achievements to date and entrench those principles in the years to come. It gives me particular pleasure to tell noble Lords that the Equality Bill will be introduced in this House. When I made my maiden speech in 1997, I must confess that I spoke against what was then party policy by calling for a single equality body. I am delighted that I am now at one with my party and Government and they with me.
	The noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, asked which Bills will be introduced in your Lordships' House. Before the Whitsun Recess, we will have Bills dealing with fraud, merchant shipping, road safety, commissioner for older people (Wales), and charities. The Bills to be introduced after the Whitsun Recess will include a child contact Bill and a common land Bill.
	This Session the House also has unfinished business concerning the Speakership of this House. Noble Lords will recall the history of this issue. It was put on hold while the Constitutional Reform Bill went through Parliament. That Bill finally received Royal Assent just before Easter. It remains the Government's view that the Speaker of this House should not be appointed by the Prime Minister. We believe that the House will be stronger if it seizes the opportunity to take the Speakership into its own hands. This House needs a presiding officer of its own, and I will resume discussions with the usual channels to explore the scope for consensus. I will then bring the issue before the House.
	My noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor will deal with the issues relating to further reform of this House during the Debate on the Address next Monday. I assure the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, that we will consult. I know that the noble Lord is a passionate advocate of an elected House, and I look forward to the noble Lord persuading his colleagues that this is the road that this House should take in the future.
	This is my third State Opening as Leader of the House of Lords. It is an honour and a privilege to continue to serve Her Majesty's Government and your Lordships' House in this capacity. I am fortunate to have enjoyed good working relations with colleagues on the Government Benches and with Members on the other Benches.
	I have already referred to the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde. I also enjoy excellent working relationships with the noble Lord, Lord McNally, and the noble Lord, Lord Williamson. I have to say that the right reverend Prelates, the Bishops, are always extremely helpful when I need wise advice and counsel.
	The smooth running of this House depends on the hard work and good will of all Members of your Lordships' House and I should like to thank the Chairmen and Members of your Lordships' Select Committees, the Chairman of Committees, the noble Lord, Lord Brabazon of Tara, and his team of Deputy Speakers, for all their hard work. I am grateful for the co-operative spirit which continues to be a feature of the work in this House.
	I should also like to thank the Clerk of the Parliaments and all the staff in the House for their hard work in the past and for the effort that they will put in over the coming Session. All noble Lords appreciate the smooth running of the House and the courtesy and helpfulness of the staff.
	Before I end, I should like us all to remember for a moment those Members, good friends and colleagues, we have lost during the year. The noble Lords, Lord Strathclyde and Lord McNally, have mentioned them in person. I should like to add to that list Lord Callaghan of Cardiff. We will miss them.
	We have a long Session ahead of us. It will be invigorating; it will challenging; it will be rewarding. Sometimes it may be difficult. I look forward to it and I hope that noble Lords do, too. I support the Motion.
	On Question, Motion agreed to, and debate adjourned accordingly until tomorrow.

Chairman of Committees

Baroness Amos: My Lords, I beg to move that the noble Lord, Lord Brabazon of Tara, be appointed to take the Chair in all Committees of the House for this Session.
	Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to nemine dissentiente.

Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees

Baroness Amos: My Lords, I beg to move that the noble Lord, Lord Grenfell, be appointed Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees for this Session.
	Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to nemine dissentiente.
	Stoppages in the Streets—Ordered, That the Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis do take care that the passages through the streets leading to this House be kept free and open and that no obstruction be permitted to hinder the passage of Lords to and from this House during the sitting of Parliament or to hinder Lords in the pursuit of their parliamentary duties on the parliamentary estate; and that the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod attending this House do communicate this order to the commissioner.

House adjourned at seventeen minutes before five o'clock.